Mountain West: Mountain
– Mountain West Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– Mountain West 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown
Air Force Falcons
Like always, Air Force has to replace a slew of parts. And like always, it’s Air Force, so everything is going to be fine thanks to the style. The start of the season couldn’t be much easier, but it gets tough in a hurry. Boise State and Nevada are on the road, there’s San Diego State from the West, and the Army game doesn’t help.
2018: 5-7 2019: 11-2 2020: 3-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5
Sept. 4 Lafayette
Sept. 11 at Navy
Sept. 18 Utah State
Sept. 25 Florida Atlantic
Oct. 2 at New Mexico
Oct. 9 Wyoming
Oct. 16 at Boise State
Oct. 23 San Diego State
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 Army (in Arlington, TX)
Nov. 13 at Colorado State
Nov. 20 at Nevada
Nov. 27 UNLV
– Full Schedule Analysis
Boise State Broncos
New pressure, new head coach Andy Avalos, but either you win the Mountain West title or the season is lost. Going to UCF and facing Oklahoma State early on should sharpen things up, and going to BYU doesn’t help. In conference play, the Broncos should be okay with Nevada at home and no San Jose State to face.
2018: 10-3 2019: 12-2 2020: 5-2
Realistic Best Case Record: 11-1
Realistic Worst Case Record: 7-5
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4
Sept. 4 at UCF
Sept. 11 UTEP
Sept. 18 Oklahoma State
Sept. 25 at Utah State
Oct. 2 Nevada
Oct. 9 at BYU
Oct. 16 Air Force
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Colorado State
Nov. 6 at Fresno State
Nov. 13 Wyoming
Nov. 20 New Mexico
Nov. 27 at San Diego State
– Full Schedule Analysis
Colorado State Rams
The 2020 Colorado State season was never able to get started, but Steve Addazio has most of the key parts returning and with some of the best lines the program has had in a while. Can the team win the 50/50 games? Outside of the trip to Iowa, there isn’t a sure-thing loss, but the back half of the Mountain West schedule is a problem.
2018: 3-9 2019: 4-8 2020: 1-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7
Sept. 4 South Dakota State
Sept. 11 Vanderbilt
Sept. 18 at Toledo
Sept. 25 at Iowa
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 San Jose State
Oct. 16 at New Mexico
Oct. 23 at Utah State
Oct. 30 Boise State
Nov. 6 at Wyoming
Nov. 13 Air Force
Nov. 20 at Hawaii
Nov. 27 Nevada
– Full Schedule Analysis
New Mexico Lobos
Going 2-5 might not seem like anything special, but head man Danny Gonzales appeared to give the program hope with a few good wins to close out 2020. There should be enough early wins to be interesting, but it’ll be tough to get to six wins without a big upset in Mountain West play.
2018: 3-9 2019: 2-10 2020: 2-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 6-6
Realistic Worst Case Record: 3-9
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 5-7
Sept. 2 Houston Baptist
Sept. 11 New Mexico State
Sept. 18 at Texas A&M
Sept. 25 at UTEP
Oct. 2 Air Force
Oct. 9 at San Diego State
Oct. 16 Colorado State
Oct. 23 at Wyoming
Oct. 30 OPEN DATE
Nov. 6 UNLV
Nov. 13 at Fresno State
Nov. 20 at Boise State
Nov. 27 Utah State
– Full Schedule Analysis
Utah State Aggies
Utah State will be one of the toughest Mountain West teams to call under new head man Blake Anderson – it might not take that much tweaking to get back to bowl-normal. There’s enough experience to get to six wins, but it might come down to the regular season finale at New Mexico.
2018: 11-2 2019: 7-6 2020: 1-5
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 4-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6
Sept. 4 at Washington State
Sept. 11 North Dakota
Sept. 18 at Air Force
Sept. 25 Boise State
Oct. 1 BYU
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at UNLV
Oct. 23 Colorado State
Oct. 30 Hawaii
Nov. 6 at New Mexico State
Nov. 13 at San Jose State
Nov. 20 Wyoming
Nov. 27 at New Mexico
– Full Schedule Analysis
Wyoming Cowboys
Start with a base of three wins against Montana State, Northern Illinois and UConn – even though the last two are on the road – and assume at least one home win because of Laramie weather. It’s one of the league’s most experienced teams and it should be in the Mountain Division title chase until the end.
2018: 6-6 2019: 8-5 2020: 2-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-5
Sept. 4 Montana State
Sept. 11 at Northern Illinois
Sept. 18 Ball State
Sept. 25 at UConn
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 at Air Force
Oct. 16 Fresno State
Oct. 23 New Mexico
Oct. 30 at San Jose State
Nov. 6 Colorado State
Nov. 13at Boise State
Nov. 20 at Utah State
Nov. 27 Hawaii
– Full Schedule Analysis
Mountain West: West
– Mountain West Weekly Schedule, Top Games To Watch
– Mountain West 2021 Pre-Spring Rankings & Breakdown
Fresno State Bulldogs
Which version of the 2020 Fresno State team will show up? The offense should put up a big year, but the defense has to be far stronger. There’s a nice base of wins built in against UConn, Cal Poly and UNLV, and the team should be good enough to get to a bowl even with a rough back half of the season.
2018: 12-2 2019: 4-8 2020: 3-3
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 6-6
Aug. 28 UConn
Sept. 4 at Oregon
Sept. 11 Cal Poly
Sept. 18 at UCLA
Sept. 25 UNLV
Oct. 2 at Hawaii
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at Wyoming
Oct. 23 Nevada
Oct. 30 at San Diego State
Nov. 6 Boise State
Nov. 13 New Mexico
Nov. 20 OPEN DATE
Nov. 27 at San Jose State
– Full Schedule Analysis
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors
It was an interesting first season under Todd Graham, but there wasn’t a lot of consistency. This year’s version will win enough home games to get to a bowl, but there has to be one thing that works and the passing game has to return. One or two road wins over a UNLV and/or Utah State makes things interesting.
2018: 8-6 2019: 10-5 2020: 5-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-8
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 7-6
Aug. 28 at UCLA
Sept. 4 Portland State
Sept. 11 at Oregon State
Sept. 18 San Jose State
Sept. 25 at New Mexico State
Oct. 2 Fresno State
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at Nevada
Oct. 23 New Mexico State
Oct. 30 at Utah State
Nov. 6 San Diego State
Nov. 13 at UNLV
Nov. 20 Colorado State
Nov. 27 at Wyoming
– Full Schedule Analysis
Nevada Wolf Pack
Can Nevada be every bit as strong as last year’s version that put up massive offensive numbers? The passing game will be great, but it might not be enough to beat Cal, Kansas State or Boise State on the road. It should be solid enough to roll through just about everyone else.
2018: 8-5 2019: 7-6 2020: 7-2
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4
Sept. 4 at Cal
Sept. 11 Idaho State
Sept. 18 at Kansas State
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at Boise State
Oct. 9 New Mexico State
Oct. 16 Hawaii
Oct. 23 at Fresno State
Oct. 30 UNLV
Nov. 6 San Jose State
Nov. 13 at San Diego State
Nov. 20 Air Force
Nov. 27 at Colorado State
– Full Schedule Analysis
San Diego State Aztecs
This might not be a juggernaut in Brady Hoke’s second season, but the schedule works out well enough to come up with a strong record if there’s a win at Arizona and the team can at least split the home games against Nevada and Boise State. Going to San Jose State and Hawaii in West play is tough.
2018: 7-6 2019: 10-3 2020: 4-4
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 6-6
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4
Sept. 4 New Mexico State
Sept. 11 at Arizona
Sept. 18 Utah
Sept. 25 Towson
Oct. 2 OPEN DATE
Oct. 9 New Mexico
Oct. 16 at San Jose State
Oct. 23 at Air Force
Oct. 30 Fresno State
Nov. 6 at Hawaii
Nov. 13 Nevada
Nov. 20 at UNLV
Nov. 27 Boise State
– Full Schedule Analysis
San Jose State Spartans
There’s always the chance that San Jose State regresses back to being San Jose State, but with so much experience returning from last year’s Mountain West champion, and with no Boise State or Air Force to face from the Mountain, it should be another strong year. Going to Nevada is the problem in the West, but San Diego State is a home date.
2018: 1-11 2019: 5-7 2020: 7-1
Realistic Best Case Record: 10-2
Realistic Worst Case Record: 5-7
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 8-4
Aug. 28 Southern Utah
Sept. 4 at USC
Sept. 11 OPEN DATE
Sept. 18 at Hawaii
Sept. 25 at Western Michigan
Oct. 2 New Mexico State
Oct. 9 at Colorado State
Oct. 16 San Diego State
Oct. 23 at UNLV
Oct. 30 Wyoming
Nov. 6 at Nevada
Nov. 13 Utah State
Nov. 20 OPEN DATE
Nov. 27 Fresno State
– Full Schedule Analysis
UNLV Rebels
The Marcus Arroyo era didn’t get off to a rousing start with a 0-6 2020, but there’s a decent building job happening with just enough winnable games to hope to show off a little hope. However, Eastern Washington isn’t a layup to kick things off, and the winnable games like UTSA and New Mexico are on the road.
2018: 4-8 2019: 4-8 2020: 0-6
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Realistic Worst Case Record: 2-10
2021 Prediction, Spring Football Version: 3-9
Sept. 2 Eastern Washington
Sept. 11 at Arizona State
Sept. 18 Iowa State
Sept. 25 at Fresno State
Oct. 2 at UTSA
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Utah State
Oct. 23 San Jose State
Oct. 30 at Nevada
Nov. 6 at New Mexico
Nov. 13 Hawaii
Nov. 20 San Diego State
Nov. 27 at Air Force
– Full Schedule Analysis
2021 Early College Football Predictions, Schedules
ACC | American Athletic | Big Ten
Big 12 | C-USA | Independents
MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12
SEC | Sun Belt